PS4: How to get your hands on a PS4 with a 4.05 firmware or lower

Team Fail0verflow have revealed all the details for a PS4 Kernel exploit running on firmwares 4.05 and below. Although at the time of this writing, no functional PS4 Jailbreak has been released for firmware 4.05, it is believed to only be a matter of days before a fully operational Jailbreak is released. Update: The PS4 4.05 jailbreak was released in December 2017. We expect the price of 4.05 and lower firmware PS4s to skyrocket, although at the time of writing there are enough bundles out there for it to still be a reasonable purchase.

About PS4 Firmware 4.05

PS4 Firmware 4.05 was released on 2016/10/25 (October 25th, 2016). Any bundle released before that date will have a firmware below 4.05. Bundles released shortly after that date might also have the right firmware, but your mileage might vary.

Some advice when shopping for a PS4:

It’s easier to ensure you have the right firmware version if you get the device new and sealed, not “used”

If you get a “used” console, be careful: most sellers update the console to the latest firmware before selling it. Ask them to confirm the firmware version before buying anything. This is true both online and in brick&mortar stores.

On Amazon and eBay, some sellers sell a different product than what the description says. I have seen some sellers offering the Star Wars bundle instead of the Killzone Shadow Fall bundle, for example. Be careful here, as always, ask the sellers for details if possible. Similarly, some sellers might sell a console + the game as a “bundle” without actually selling “the” bundle as it was originally released. If this happens to you, see point 4 below.

Amazon have a great return policy. Use it if the PS4 is not the one you expected!

Buying a PS4 new, with a low firmware

The ideal way to get yourself an “old” PS4 firmware is to buy one of the old bundles, and to get it new.

Specific bundles below, keep in mind the list is not exhaustive. Let me insist that you need to do your homework: contact the sellers to confirm as much information as possible before buying, make sure you understand their return policy, etc. There is no guarantee that the links below will consistently ensure a lower firmware. Again, leverage the return policy if you’re not getting what you want.

Alternatively, buying online might not be the best option for you: you might have better luck going to your local “used and new” shop, and actually try the console to verify its firmware. Most local shops will let you check the firmware version if you explain your situation. Remember they just want to sell stuff, not judge you on why you want to buy a lower firmware console. “I’m a tinkerer and need a console on firmware 4.05 or below in order to install Linux, I’m not interested in a more recent firmware” usually gets the point across 🙂

Note: the Amazon links below are affiliate links. You don’t pay anything extra but we get a small commission if you purchase through our links.

The old “Phat” PS4 model has apparently been discontinued in 2016, so it will most likely always ship with a firmware below 4.05, even outside of a bundle, if you can buy it new. You might want to try your luck.

What about PS4 Pro?

The PS4 Pro initially shipped with firmware 3.70. Unfortunately multiple revisions have happened already and the most recent ones ship with firmwares 4.07, 4.70 or higher. Because there were no bundles initially, your only way to ensure that you get a firmware below 4.05 for a PS4 Pro if you buy online is to ask the seller.

If you look for a PS4 pro at your local store, you might have luck looking at the manufacturing date. A PS4 Pro manufactured in January 2017 or earlier might come with firmware 3.70.

Leave your feedback to make this list better!

If you know about other bundles that ship with a low firmware, please let us know in the comments section! Also, if one of the bundles above shipped to you with a firmware above 4.05, please report with as many details as possible (where you bought it, did you contact the seller, did you have any issues doing a return, etc…)

I’ve just buy th bundle Ps4 “The Last Guardian CUH-2016B” with OFW 3.55 at Leclerc, Blainville just next to Caen in Normandy, France for 349 Euro. It rest two other bundles of Ps4 “The Last Guardian CUH-2016B”. If you hurry up, you might have a chance to find one.

The “PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB Console – Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Bundle [Discontinued]” model linked above is shipped with firmware 4.06!!! Such a disappointment. I ordered it from Amazon.com, as linked above and its not 4.01, its black and 4.06. Notice there are a ton of resellers which are fulfilled by Amazon. Mine was “Shop For Happy (Tax Free)”, seriously. As far as buying a PS4 it was a great experience, but DO NOT ORDER THIS MODEL.

I have ordered the same one on the 25th of Jan, but the seller wasn’t “Shop For Happy”. It was a limited stock at that time. I’m not sure when you ordered the item, but I guess the bundle was out of stock and the link have been redirected to a bunch of other resellers. As I’m living in Australia, the item hasn’t been arrived yet, expected delivery on the 9th of Feb. I hope it will be the right one we are digging.

i just bought a ps4 pro at 3.70 at a local store in canada, i will tell you guys how i did it

step 1:

go to a small town and to a store that isn’t known for selling electronics ( I chose a shoppers drug mart in beaumont alberta )

step 2

ask the clerk for what consoles they have, this one is very small so they wil take there time, i asked them to check for a phat ps4 ( i had to show them a picture of it ) and if there wasnt one of those i asked her to grab the oldest ps4 pro and slim that they had, she came back with a slim that was too new and my ps4 pro

step 3

check the back of the box, mine has horizon zero dawn described as ” coming 2017 ”

step 4:

convince them to let you open the box, there is a good chance that this console is manufactured in 2016 but if you wanted to double check this is the way to double check. they were hesitant at first but i asked if i could buy it and open it in store and if it was too new if i could return it, at this point she just said i could open it to check but if i damaged the box i had to buy the console reguardless. on the back it says manufactured sept 2016. i bought it then

I actually found a Destiny Taken King console on ebay for $300 CAD (works out good for me as the guy was close to me and I received the console in 2 days). Beautiful console, came in a ps4 box with all accessories and a sealed Uncharted 4 game and a white controller.

I believe he has more available if anyone wants one. Comes with 2.51 or 3.11 firmware. A friend of mine also bought one and received it in 2 days. Both our consoles came with 2.51. 😀

[…] Important: This guide is for you if your PS4 is running on a firmware lower than 4.05. If your console is on firmware 4.06 or higher, this guide is not for you. Additionally, there is no publicly known way to downgrade a PS4 from a higher firmware to 4.05. Any site claiming that it is possible is either misguided or trying to trick you. If your PS4 is running a firmware higher than 4.05, you might want to try and get your hands on a 4.05 PS4. […]

[…] Yesterday, we covered how to update your PS4 to firmware 4.05, a necessary step if you haven’t done it yet. As a reminder, you cannot downgrade a PS4. If you are on a firmware higher than 4.05, you will first need to find a PS4 with a lower firmware. […]

[…] Developer Bisoon has released PS4Lib, a Windows library that lets you send Messages to your PS4. The tool ships with a Demo GUI which, among other things, lets you send notifications to your PS4. Operating PS4Lib and its demo requires a hacked PS4 4.05. […]